The Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissed the YSRCP lunch motion petition challenging Pulivendula and Ontimitta ZPTC by-election results. The party had requested re-elections in 15 booths of Pulivendula and 30 booths of Ontimitta, alleging irregularities during the polls.
During the hearing, the court clarified that re-polling falls under the Election Commission’s authority. It emphasized that the judiciary will not interfere in matters under the Commission’s jurisdiction, upholding the integrity of the electoral process.
YSRCP suffered a heavy defeat in both constituencies. In Pulivendula, TDP-backed Maareddy Lata Reddy won by 6,053 votes, while YSRCP candidate Hemanth Reddy managed just 683 votes. Congress and other contenders received fewer than 100 votes, with a voter turnout of 74 percent.
In Ontimitta, TDP candidate Muddukrishna Reddy secured 12,780 votes, defeating YSRCP’s Iragamreddy Subbareddy, who received 6,513 votes. The results marked a significant setback for the ruling party in its strongholds.
YSRCP alleged that shifting polling booths and rigging by the TDP contributed to their loss. However, the High Court’s ruling confirmed that the elections were conducted fairly and within the Election Commission’s framework.
